Our PAC Executive met last week and we have a number of updates to share with you.
Linda Gelley is Retiring
Ross Road Administrative Assistant Linda Gelley is retiring on January 31. Linda, a highly treasured member of the Ross Road admin team, will be dearly missed by parents, students and staff. The school is holding a short assembly at 1:45pm this Friday, January 25, to recognize Linda for her years of service to the school. Parents are welcome to attend the assembly at the back of the gym or drop by the school on her last day to say farewell to Linda. The PAC will present a gift to Linda at the assembly. Parents can also drop a card for Linda in the PAC mailbox under the stairs and it will be delivered by the PAC on her last day at Ross Road.
Valet Helpers Needed Now
Valet needs you! Our valet program makes us the envy of other schools in North Van, but we need parent support to maintain our student safety program. Please help!
Commitment: one morning per week or be an occasional helper
Hours: 8:15am-8:50am
Task: Direct traffic at crosswalk or along Bushnell Drive, set out/take down traffic cones in front of the school, and direct student helpers
It’s all done by 9:00am leaving time to get to work or other tasks for the day.
Contact Valet Coordinator Ed Lathioor at e.lathioor@gmail.com.
After School Programs
How are the new after school programs at Ross Road? This term the PAC started offering multiple after school programs at the school to offer enriching opportunities for students and help to meet after school care needs expressed by some parents. The PAC is beginning to coordinate the after school program options for post-spring break. Contact the PAC if you have ideas to share: rossroadpac@gmail.com.
Ross Road Parents Social – March 2
This annual event has become the talk of the playground. Plan to book a babysitter and join us for the Ross Road Parents Social 7:00pm on March 2 at Toby’s Pub & Grill. Advance ticket sales coming soon.
Spring Carnival – May 31st
Save the date! Ross Road’s annual spring carnival takes place May 31. This event is organized annually by the Grade 2 and 3 parents. This is the school’s biggest fundraising event. Watch for more news soon about the ways for you to get involved and support the school. Contact Melissa Fotsch to get involved: Melissa.fotsch@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
January 28 Pro D Day Fun Build It! – North Vancouver District Public Library invites kids and their caregivers to drop into the library January 28 for an afternoon of building fun. Drop in 2:00-4:00pm, no registration required.
February 23 Argyle Ground Breaker Parent Party – Argyle Secondary School PAC invites all parents from the Argyle family of schools to their fundraiser and parent party. Tickets go on sale February 1.
February 27 PAC Meeting at Ross Road – all parents invited to attend
March 2 Ross Road Parents Social – tickets and information coming soon
May 29 Ross Road PAC AGM
May 31 Ross Road Spring Carnival
The next CPF North Vancouver Chapter Meeting is Thursday, Feb 7th at 7PM, Argyle Secondary in the library.
Here are some upcoming CPF events:
1/ Vive les voyageurs French-Canadian Festival
January 19-20, 2019, Fort Langley National Historic Site
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/bc/langley/activ/activ21
Tap your feet to the beat of French-Canadian music at Fort Langley National Historic Site’s annual Vive les Voyageurs Festival. Enliven your senses with the traditional foods, music and culture of the 19th century French-Canadian and Métis fur traders.
End date: January 20, 2019
Cost: Regular admission applies.
2/ British Columbia Family French Camp:
Pre-registration (for returning BCFFC families): January 27, 2019
General Registration Opens February 3, 2019
Current CPF North Van Membership Required:
https://cpf.ca/en/membership/online-membership-management/
3/ CPF North Vancouver Film Festival:
Wednesday, Feb 13th at The Centennial Theatre. Parents will be receiving field trip info from their children’s teachers soon.
4/ French Immersion Celebration:
Monday March 4th, 2019
NVSD and CPF North Van present: A Celebration of the French Immersion program’s 40th anniversary in the North Vancouver School District!
French Immersion students from across the District will be showcasing their French language skills at this special event open to the public. (Teachers will be leading this)
On the main floor, in the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, Grade 9 Culture et communication students will be sharing their audio guide projects created in partnership with French Music Producer Loig Morin. On the 5th floor, over 40 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will be performing in a French variety show!
WHEN: Monday, March 4th
WHERE: 2121 Lonsdale – Gallery and 5th floor
TIME: 6 pm to 8 pm
5/ School & District Concours d’art oratoire competition
Concours d’art oratoire is Canadian Parents for French’s pan-Canadian French public speaking competition—an estimated 85,000 students participate annually across Canada.
Participants in Grades 6-12 prepare and present a 3-5 minute speech on a subject of their choosing, all en français! The competition progresses through the following stages:
1) Students participate in their local classroom
2) Top students move on to the school district competition
3) Top students move on to the provincial competition
4) Top students in grade 12 move on to the national competition.
Different categories are set out for students in French Immersion, Core French, and Francophone students. The speeches are judged by French-speaking volunteers: from university and college professors, to teachers and native Francophones, and even French immersion graduates, many of whom have themselves competed in Concours.
District Concours d’art oratoire (featuring top students from classroom participation):
Tues, April 2nd, 2019 at the Education Services Centre on Lonsdale
Jointly presented by NVSD and CPF North Van
Argyle Ground Breaker Parent Party
As an Argyle Family School, we at Ross Road have been invited to attend the first of many parent socials planned to raise funds for the new Argyle school…The Ground Breaker Parent Party!
The school is currently scheduled for completion in Fall 2020, which means current Argyle grade eight, nine and ten students — as well as students from our feeder schools — will all enjoy this brand new facility. While the Argyle school community has received incredible funding for the building of this new school, there are not enough funds to cover much-needed items for the interior. Such as, new furniture for the common/collaborative areas which are important additions that help create inviting learning spaces for your kids.
As an Argyle family school, Ross Road is included in this very important initiative in order to help build a strong community spirit.
Volunteer Kudos
We want to thank parent Dana Samis for her initiative in setting up and coordinating the new after school programs this term. Thanks to Dana we have new activities for students at Ross Road.
What does the PAC do?
The Ross Road School Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is your parent community at our school. The PAC does fundraising to support the students and staff of Ecole Ross Road School, and organizes activities to nurture a sense of community and inclusion at Ecole Ross Road School.
Why does the PAC Fundraise?
PAC fundraising is an investment in our school to enhance the programs and student services beyond what is funded by the school district and the province. The PAC 2018-2019 funding priority is a new cart of laptop computers for students to use at school. Learn more
Ross Road PAC 